As promised: Arenal, howling monkeys and The General!
We took a day trip to see Costa Rica's Arenal volcano. There are several volcanos in CR, but this is one of the only active ones they have. It was a long drive there (about 3.5 hours), but along the way we stopped at an animal rescue reserve. Nice facilities, and it was nice to see a place that would care for injured animals. We ran into the tourist group from HELL there, however. A bunch of 50-something chickens from Des Moines (or something like that) dressed in capri pants and visor hats talking at the top of their lungs, scaring the shit out of every animal in there. At one point, my flash accidently went off on my camera and one of the chickens yells at the top of her lungs "No Flash! No Flash!". I just continued my quiet conversation with Mr. COG and ignored her. This prompts the chicken to say (again, very LOUDLY) "Does she speak English?". Not in a way that was rude (other than it was LOUD) but I successfully stumped her as to whether I was from an English speaking country. Good. That way my continuing to ignore her wasn't a problem, and it wasn't necessary for me to give her the What For in front of God and everyone.
After this somewhat pleasant stop, we made our way up the mountain. And up, and up, and up. About halfway there, we stopped for a nice lunch at a roadside restaurant at Lake Arenal. The lake is partly man made, and the area is rural and charming.
Finally, we reached the top. Of course, this being a rain forest, it was raining. Fortunately, my $3.99 plastic poncho came in handy at this moment. Except hiking in a plastic poncho is a lot like hiking with a giant Ziplock on. VERY hot and sticky, especially hiking up a gazillion steps in high altitude (I don't do altitude well). But the huffing and puffing were worth it, because at the top of the trail was an amazing view of the volcano. The top was visible (I'm told this isn't always the case) and while we were there, it rumbled and smoke poofed (technical vulcan term) out the top. Very cool!
Once we finished our hike, we went to a hot springs spa. They had about 8 or so pools of varying temperatures to lounge around in. Temps ranged from 86F to 116F. I opted out of the 116F pool because I like my own meat to stay rare, thank you. I particularly liked the pool that you could belly up to the bar and have an Imperial. We also ate a wonderful buffet dinner here.
After dinner (and the sun had set), we took a ride to the side of the volcano that was erupting. We were able to see the lava rolling down the mountain on the SE side. What a great sight! I've never seen lava in person and even though it was far away, it was still a sight to see! Once we had our fill of checking out the lava, we started to head back home. The drive took about 3 hours back, and thanks to our tour guide Johann for barreling down that mountain as fast as he could to get us home. I know his driving caused concern for some in our group, but I know he's driven that road more than a million times so I think we were in good hands.
The next morning, after my shower, I was looking out our patio door at something in the trees. At first I thought it was a howler monkey due to the size, almost 2 meters long. It moved positions and I got a better look. Instead of a monkey, it was an iguana! The biggest iguana I'd ever seen! With a giant spiney mohawk down it's back! Holy Crap! Since we had several other small iguanas in the area, I decided to nickname him The General. I'm sure he is the Iguana King of Potrero!
Well, the story of the howler monkeys will have to fall to part 3...I'm out!
-K
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Friday, May 18, 2007
Costa Rica, Part I
Well, our trip was relaxing and wonderful to say the least. I'll give you a highlight recap:
Our flight to Costa Rica left Detroit at 6:30 in the AM. As in the sweaty, stinky ass crack of dawn Eastern Standard Time. We decided to save a couple of hours and sleep at the nearby HoJo's. They also offer a long term parking deal, which was attractive when you're gone 2 weeks.
Staying (or God forbid, living) near an airport is a noisy experience. In the five minutes it took for Mr. Gravity to check in, I counted 3 planes zooming overhead. This didn't cause me a moments pause, because I sleep under any circumstances. Bouncy bus? Check. Hot, crowded airplane ride? Check. Car alarm? Check. Nudists playing the bongos? Got that one, too. Mr. Gravity, however, isn't so lucky. Unless there is perfect silence, he is AWAKE. So, I got plenty of rest, while my husband counted the ceiling tiles 'til about midnight until the 4:45am wake-up call.
Once we were on the plane, all was good. We got into Atlanta on time, and boarded the plane to Liberia. Our fellow inmates included a group of thirty-something men and women in the midst of arrested development. The guys sat together apart from their womenfolk and proceeded to drink most of the way down. The ladies just clucked like chickens until the landing. Thankfully, we drove off in the opposite direction when we got our cab.
The hotel was located on the beach in a nice calm bay. Weather was hot, but breezy, so it definately was an improvement over the cold weather of the Midwest. We got in around 2pm, so we grabbed a bite and a beer and relaxed for the afternoon.
We went to bed kinda early to sleep off some jet lag. One problem, though. A critter decided to occupy the wall space in our bathroom and proceeded to have a dance party in there for the first 20 minutes. Of course, Mr. Gravity wasn't having any of that, so he went to the desk and had our room switched. So, after a few minutes of repacking and re-clothing we were in a more quiet room.
The next 5 days we were vegetables baking in the sun and swimming in a salt bath. Ahhh...I actually stopped chewing my nails after the second day!
Next post: Arenal Volcano, howling monkeys and The General
-K
Our flight to Costa Rica left Detroit at 6:30 in the AM. As in the sweaty, stinky ass crack of dawn Eastern Standard Time. We decided to save a couple of hours and sleep at the nearby HoJo's. They also offer a long term parking deal, which was attractive when you're gone 2 weeks.
Staying (or God forbid, living) near an airport is a noisy experience. In the five minutes it took for Mr. Gravity to check in, I counted 3 planes zooming overhead. This didn't cause me a moments pause, because I sleep under any circumstances. Bouncy bus? Check. Hot, crowded airplane ride? Check. Car alarm? Check. Nudists playing the bongos? Got that one, too. Mr. Gravity, however, isn't so lucky. Unless there is perfect silence, he is AWAKE. So, I got plenty of rest, while my husband counted the ceiling tiles 'til about midnight until the 4:45am wake-up call.
Once we were on the plane, all was good. We got into Atlanta on time, and boarded the plane to Liberia. Our fellow inmates included a group of thirty-something men and women in the midst of arrested development. The guys sat together apart from their womenfolk and proceeded to drink most of the way down. The ladies just clucked like chickens until the landing. Thankfully, we drove off in the opposite direction when we got our cab.
The hotel was located on the beach in a nice calm bay. Weather was hot, but breezy, so it definately was an improvement over the cold weather of the Midwest. We got in around 2pm, so we grabbed a bite and a beer and relaxed for the afternoon.
We went to bed kinda early to sleep off some jet lag. One problem, though. A critter decided to occupy the wall space in our bathroom and proceeded to have a dance party in there for the first 20 minutes. Of course, Mr. Gravity wasn't having any of that, so he went to the desk and had our room switched. So, after a few minutes of repacking and re-clothing we were in a more quiet room.
The next 5 days we were vegetables baking in the sun and swimming in a salt bath. Ahhh...I actually stopped chewing my nails after the second day!
Next post: Arenal Volcano, howling monkeys and The General
-K
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Tag, I'm it...the ABC's of me
Hi all! Back from beautiful, sunny Costa Rica (why do I sound like a game show host?)! I'll blog some details about the trip later this week, along with some photos. In the meantime, I've been tagged by Mike P to give out the ABC's of me...feel free to giggle along...
A - Available or Single - I've been madly in love with my husband, even before he was a possibility to be my husband. Been married for almost 3 years now...
B - Best Friend - I'm extremely lucky to have a few people I can call best friend. My husband, my sister, and my friend Barb. All of them are unconditionally supportive and loving, and I cherish them all. Yes, I realize how lucky I am to have even one friend, let alone three.
C - Cake or Pie - Cake. I love a good carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. My fantasy is to eat a whole carrot cake in one sitting, but I've yet to let my guilty Catholic conscience allow it to happen.
D - Drink of Choice - I'll have to go with Warsteiner as well. For the uninitiated, Warsteiner is a German ale. Nice color, great taste. Much better than the piss we call beer in America.
E - Essential items - Gotta have my Ipod now that I have one. If I was lost on a deserted island, I'd want this and a Sony Reader jammed with books.
F - Favorite Color - Red
G - Gummi Bears or Worms - Surprisingly enough, I'm not a gummi snob. It doesn't have to be bears. In fact, my favorite Gummi item are Gummi frogs from Haribo. You can't get them in the US, so I buy a bunch when we go to Deustchland for Christmas. They are lime flavored green Gummi on top and a soft marshmallow-y substance on the bottom. YUM!
H - Hometown - Sterling Heights. Home to subdivisions and strip malls. No good character there, believe me.
I - Indulgence - My geek/nerd side, and my time I spend running. I love to watch all the documentaries and dorky stuff on the Science and Discovery channels, and I always enjoy a good sci-fi movie or tv show.
J - January or February - I'll take February for my birthday and Valentines' Day. January just has the post-holiday let down.
K - Kids - None unless we get the Second Coming.
L - Life is incomplete without - artistic expression. Whether it is taking photos, embroidery, or appreciating other works of art...couldn't make it without that. Have to be creating something...
M - Marriage Date - October 3, 2004
N - Number of siblings - 4. I have two sisters and one brother, all older. I was an "oops" baby 8 years after my parents thought they were done.
O - Oranges or Apples - Oranges. Fresh oranges remind me of going to visit my aunt in Florida when I was a kid.
P - Phobias/Fear - I have an extreme fear of death. Can't dwell on it too long or it can bring me to tears. Check out a website about Indigo Children, pretty sure I fall into this category. I also have a touch of the agoraphobia, but I think it's really that I can't stand people for an extended period of time. When it's time to go, it's time to go...
Q - Favorite Quote - "Hello. My name is Diego Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
R - Reasons to smile - The end of the work day; seeing my husband when I get home; watching my nieces and nephews goof around.
S - Season - I'm partial to Fall (both the season and that I'm not really coordinated)
T - Tag three - my three are tagged already! Not fair!
U - Unknown fact about me - I sing. Really, I can sing.
V - Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals - Sorry, but I need a big juicy hamburger at that time of the month. Iron!
W - Worst Habits - I bite my nails
X - Xrays or Ultrasounds - I like a nice, lubed up ultrasound any day...
Y - Your favorite foods - Pizza! Beer! Mexican!
Z - Zodiac - I'm a fish, baby...just trying to keep swimming upstream...
Ok, time to wake up now...show's over!
-K
A - Available or Single - I've been madly in love with my husband, even before he was a possibility to be my husband. Been married for almost 3 years now...
B - Best Friend - I'm extremely lucky to have a few people I can call best friend. My husband, my sister, and my friend Barb. All of them are unconditionally supportive and loving, and I cherish them all. Yes, I realize how lucky I am to have even one friend, let alone three.
C - Cake or Pie - Cake. I love a good carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. My fantasy is to eat a whole carrot cake in one sitting, but I've yet to let my guilty Catholic conscience allow it to happen.
D - Drink of Choice - I'll have to go with Warsteiner as well. For the uninitiated, Warsteiner is a German ale. Nice color, great taste. Much better than the piss we call beer in America.
E - Essential items - Gotta have my Ipod now that I have one. If I was lost on a deserted island, I'd want this and a Sony Reader jammed with books.
F - Favorite Color - Red
G - Gummi Bears or Worms - Surprisingly enough, I'm not a gummi snob. It doesn't have to be bears. In fact, my favorite Gummi item are Gummi frogs from Haribo. You can't get them in the US, so I buy a bunch when we go to Deustchland for Christmas. They are lime flavored green Gummi on top and a soft marshmallow-y substance on the bottom. YUM!
H - Hometown - Sterling Heights. Home to subdivisions and strip malls. No good character there, believe me.
I - Indulgence - My geek/nerd side, and my time I spend running. I love to watch all the documentaries and dorky stuff on the Science and Discovery channels, and I always enjoy a good sci-fi movie or tv show.
J - January or February - I'll take February for my birthday and Valentines' Day. January just has the post-holiday let down.
K - Kids - None unless we get the Second Coming.
L - Life is incomplete without - artistic expression. Whether it is taking photos, embroidery, or appreciating other works of art...couldn't make it without that. Have to be creating something...
M - Marriage Date - October 3, 2004
N - Number of siblings - 4. I have two sisters and one brother, all older. I was an "oops" baby 8 years after my parents thought they were done.
O - Oranges or Apples - Oranges. Fresh oranges remind me of going to visit my aunt in Florida when I was a kid.
P - Phobias/Fear - I have an extreme fear of death. Can't dwell on it too long or it can bring me to tears. Check out a website about Indigo Children, pretty sure I fall into this category. I also have a touch of the agoraphobia, but I think it's really that I can't stand people for an extended period of time. When it's time to go, it's time to go...
Q - Favorite Quote - "Hello. My name is Diego Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
R - Reasons to smile - The end of the work day; seeing my husband when I get home; watching my nieces and nephews goof around.
S - Season - I'm partial to Fall (both the season and that I'm not really coordinated)
T - Tag three - my three are tagged already! Not fair!
U - Unknown fact about me - I sing. Really, I can sing.
V - Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals - Sorry, but I need a big juicy hamburger at that time of the month. Iron!
W - Worst Habits - I bite my nails
X - Xrays or Ultrasounds - I like a nice, lubed up ultrasound any day...
Y - Your favorite foods - Pizza! Beer! Mexican!
Z - Zodiac - I'm a fish, baby...just trying to keep swimming upstream...
Ok, time to wake up now...show's over!
-K
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